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Chandigarh with Milkha Singh
Portraying India
From a modest start to the world’s most prestigious tracks, Milkha Singh ran with purpose that shaped the course of Indian sport. He trained when facilities were sparse, often running barefoot, building stamina through sheer determination. His life was shaped by a difficult childhood and driven by the ambition that never let him stay still for long.
Representing a newly independent nation, Milkha Singh’s sprinting career took him to international championships, Olympic tracks, and record-breaking moments that inspired generations. His discipline transformed him into a man whose story continues to fuel India’s athletic dreams.
Milkha Singh did not grow up dreaming of medals. In the chaos of his teenage years, survival came first. Born in Govindpura in the present-day Pakistan, Milkha Singh grew up in a farming family. As a child, he ran barefoot about 10 km both ways to school through scorching sands and crossed two canals without knowing how to swim.
During the tragic events of Partition, he lost his parents and siblings. He fled and found refuge in Delhi with no belongings, and lived in refugee camps. He joined the Indian Army in 1951 simply for a steady meal. His speed caught the attention of army coaches, and from 400m cross-country races, he was drafted into professional athletic training. Running began in the dust of barracks and later took him far beyond their gates.
Milkha Singh turned India into a nation of sprint dreams. His early career was marked by many setbacks, but he kept pushing forward. In the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, he gained his first Olympic experience. Then came an explosive breakthrough in 1958: gold medals in both the 200m and 400m at the Tokyo Asian Games. Later that year, at the Cardiff Commonwealth Games, he became the first Indian man to win an individual gold medal in athletics, securing the top podium in the 440-yard dash. It was a turning point not just for him, but for Indian sport.
At the 1960 Rome Olympics, he narrowly missed an Olympic medal, finishing fourth in the 400m final. Despite the heartbreak, the race became iconic. His time of 45.73 seconds stood as a national record for nearly 40 years. In 1962, at the Jakarta Asian Games, he added another gold in the 400m and helped India clinch relay gold.
In 1960, he was invited to race in Lahore against Pakistan’s champion sprinter Abdul Khaliq. Milkha Singh initially declined. The memory of escaping violence during Partition haunted him, and Lahore was the city he had once fled. However, he eventually agreed and went on to win the race.
Moved by his performance, Pakistan’s President Ayub Khan remarked, “You didn’t run today, you flew.” From then on, he was known as the Flying Sikh, a title that stayed with him for life.
“I have very fond memories of the Cardiff Commonwealth Games – I was the only Indian to win, and I had no idea I would win as the world record holder was running in my race. The Queen put the medal on me, and the Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, sent me a message. To receive that recognition was a big thing.”
After retiring in 1964, Milkha Singh made Chandigarh his home. He shared his life with Nirmal Kaur, former captain of the Indian women’s volleyball team, and together they raised a family grounded in sport and service. He served as Punjab’s Director of Sports and launched the Milkha Singh Charitable Trust in 2003 to support underprivileged sportspersons. He mentored young athletes, advocated for better sports infrastructure, and shaped the direction of Indian athletics.
He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1959, the Arjuna Award in 1961 and posthumously the Padma Bhushan in 2021. His sculpture at Madame Tussauds in Chandigarh has immortalized his iconic running form. His influence is seen today in athletes like Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, who dedicated his medal to Milkha Singh’s spirit.
Through him, the idea of the Indian athlete was reimagined and forever raised.
A city drawn on paper before it rose from the ground, Chandigarh stands apart in India’s urban landscape. Designed by Le Corbusier, it was designed as a symbol of independent India’s vision – modern, orderly, and forward-looking. Broad avenues, grid layouts, and open green spaces give it a rhythm few cities share. The city creates a balance between function and aesthetics, offering space to think, walk, and create. Chandigarh pulses with cultural confidence, where civic pride, art, and nature are all part of daily life.
Discover a city that values visual storytelling, from the Government Museum & Art Gallery’s modernist collection to contemporary works at private spaces like Alliance Française and Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi.
Recommendations for Further Exploration
To Watch
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013) – Biopic on Milkha Singh
Flying Sikh (Milkha Singh) by the Ministry of Information, Films Division
To Read
The Race of My Life – An autobiography, co-authored with daughter Sonia Sanwalka
Milkha Singh: The Flying Sikh – A Google Arts & Culture Story
At Tushita, we marvel at India with you. After 45 years of travelling the country, we’re still enamoured by its beauty every day. From Ladakh, where Tushita was anointed by a Buddhist monk in 1977, to Tamil Nadu, where we worked with locals to showcase one of the oldest cultures in the world, we are partners in your journey to discover our part of the world.
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